(Ottawa, April 14, 2007) Members of the Canadian boccia team are currently in Brno, Czech Republic to participate in the 2nd Open Czech Boccia Tournament Teams and Pairs. After the first day of competition, Canada still has a chance to win a medal in the BC1/BC2 team and BC4 pair categories.
Adam Dukovich, of Mississauga, ON, Tammy McLeod, of London, ON and Hanif Mawji, of Vancouver, BC, with newcomers Francine Desrochers, of Montreal, QC and Brock Richardson, of Brampton, ON; have completed the round robin with a record of 2 wins and one loss to finish second in their pool. They beat Croatia 6-3 and the team from Prague 12-3 in their first two games. “Today went well, the first game was challenging but after we got our butterflies out we played well in the second game”, said McLeod. “Everyone is doing their part and I am proud of what we have accomplished today. We are looking forward to tomorrow”
The Canadians only loss came in their last game of the day against Brno. After two long days of travelling, the players were tired. They had to wait an extra four hours yesterday during their trip from Prague to Brno because their bus needed repair. Canada will face the Czech national team tomorrow in the semi-finals.
In the BC4 pairs category, Josh Vander Vies of Sarnia, ON and Jonathan Poulin of Montreal, QC won and lost one game. The pair lost their first game 5-2 against the Czech A team who is ranked 6th in the world, one place better then Canada. They won their second game against Czech B team. “Even with a slow start, we played well today”, said Poulin. “We came back strong in the second game winning 7-0. Tomorrow, Josh and I will try to keep the momentum and win our last two games”.
Boccia is a Paralympic sport open to athletes with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke or similar non-progressive conditions. All competitors compete in wheelchairs and some are permitted to use assistive devices (usually a ramp or chute to aid in throwing the ball). Only athletes with a severe disability are eligible to compete in boccia
The Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association (CCPSA) is an athlete focused national organization administering and governing sport opportunities targeted to athletes with CP and related disabilities. CCPSA and its provincial partners cooperate as a proactive force to facilitate the development of equitable and fair sporting opportunities for our athletes.
